Ronaldo was my favourite, but playing against Messi was unbelievable – Chelsea’s Rogers confesses

Chelsea midfielder Morgan Rogers has revealed that Cristiano Ronaldo was his childhood favourite, but admitted Lionel Messi left him stunned when he faced the Argentine at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Rogers was part of England’s side that suffered a 2-1 defeat to Argentina in the semi-final, with Messi producing two brilliant late assists to turn the game around and send La Albiceleste into the final.

Speaking to Chelsea’s official channel, Rogers explained that Ronaldo had always been his personal favourite in the long-running debate over the two footballing icons.

“Ronaldo was my personal favourite, but, I played Messi in that World Cup semi-final, he’s 39, I couldn’t believe, I can’t imagine what he was like in his prime,” Rogers said.

The Chelsea midfielder was particularly struck by Messi’s performance despite the Argentine being 39 years old at the time.

“I can imagine him in his prime being absolutely nothing you can do, like it’s impossible. But it was borderline nothing you could do in that game and he’s 39!”

Rogers had experienced Messi’s influence first-hand as England surrendered their advantage in the World Cup semi-final. The Argentine produced two decisive assists late in the contest, helping Argentina overturn England’s lead and secure a 2-1 victory.

Rogers’ encounter with Messi came during a remarkable period in his own career. After the World Cup, the England international completed a British-record £117 million transfer from Aston Villa to Chelsea, becoming the most expensive English player of all time.

The move placed enormous expectations on the midfielder, but Rogers has made an impressive start at Stamford Bridge. He has scored three goals and provided four assists in seven appearances across all competitions for the Blues.

His comments about Messi also offer an insight into the experience of facing one of the players he grew up watching.

While Ronaldo remains Rogers’ personal favourite, the chance to test himself against Messi provided a very different perspective. Rather than watching the Argentine’s brilliance from a distance, Rogers experienced it directly on football’s biggest stage, and came away convinced that Messi must have been even more difficult to contain during his prime.